Gods call to reconciliation: in Scripture and on the streets

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Gods call to reconciliation in Scripture and
on the streets
Very Rev Dr Ken Newell, Presbyterian Church in
Ireland, 16th June 2009
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Bloody Friday 21 July 1972Oxford Street
Bombing9 killed, 130 injured
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The day that triggered a simple prayer Lord, is
there anything you want me to do?
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Past battles still proudly celebrated
A culture of ever recurring conflicts
Battle of the Boyne 1690
Easter Rising 1916
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Northern Irelanda culture of spiritual
apartheid?
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Ulster Day, 28 September 1912a culture of
divided political loyalties
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a culture of remembered sacrificeUlster
Volunteers leaving for War, 1915
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A new day has dawnedWe have created the
potential to build a new, harmonious and
equitable relationship.Gerry Adams 26 March
2007
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A new openness is developingI hope that old
suspicions and discord can be buried forever
through mutual cooperation. Ian Paisley,
Dublin, 4 April 2007
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88 security barriers stretching 13 miles still
divide contentious interfaces in Belfast
Segregated by concrete
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Two thirds of young people aged 16-25 have never
had a meaningful conversation with someone from
the other community
Widespread social and emotional remoteness and
suspicion continue
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The cost of division 1.5 billion pa(Deloitte
Report 2009)
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Lord, your Word is a lamp to guide me and a
light for my pathPsalm 119105
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The eternal Trinity invites us to share in loves
deepest friendship
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Creation harmonies God looked at everything he
had made and he was very pleased Genesis 1
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Starting from scratch, God created the entire
human race ...so that we could seek after Him
and find him.Acts 1726-27
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The collapse of innocence and closeness
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Cain murders his brother Abel
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The Flood, the Ark and NoahThe world is so
full of their violent deeds Genesis 613
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The Tower of Babylon
They will not understand one another
Genesis 1119
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Abraham, through youI will bless all the
nations2091 BC
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Major family conflicts Isaac v. Ishmael, Jacob
v. Esau, Joseph v. His brothers
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Moses and Gods Law of love1446 BC
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Jerusalem Temple, first built by King Solomon
c.940 BC
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• The vision of the Psalms
• Sing to the Lord, all the world.
• He will rule all peoples with justice and
  fairness

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The vision of Israels prophets Look, your
King is coming to you!He will make peace among
the nationsZechariah 99-10 520 480 BC
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The New Testament witness God was in Christ
reconciling the world to himself 2 Corinthians
519
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Jesus Christ the cosmic RedeemerGods plan
is to bring all creation together again,
everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as
head. Ephesians 110
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Christs two great commandmentsloving God means
loving peopleSt Mark 1228-34
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The Father of Jesus has only one family
Whoever does what my Father in heaven wants him
to do is my brother, my sister, and my mother.
St Matthew 1246-50
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Jesus teaches the five aspects of love for God,
ourselves, fellow-Christians, neighbours and
enemies
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Jesus calls his followers to be
peace-makersHappy are those, says Jesus, who
work for peace God will call them his
children!St Matthew 59
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Jesus chooses an inclusive life-stylehe
befriends Samaritans, women, gentiles, sinners
and even good people St John 4
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Jesus prioritizes reconciliation for his
followers If you are about to offer your gift
at the altar and there remember that your brother
or sister has a grudge against you, leave your
gift there. First, go and be reconciled to that
person, then come and offer your gift to God.
St Matthew 523-24
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Prejudice-reduction is a Gospel
requirementFirst, take the plank out of your
own eye, then you will see clearly St Matthew
71-5
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Jesus recognizes that reconciliation is not easy
the prodigal son and his elder brother St Luke
1511-32
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Jesus, the Messiah-peacemaker Your King will
make peace among the nations and rule from sea to
sea Zech 99-10 Is 24
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Jesus weeps over JerusalemIf you only knew
today what is needed for peace! But now you
cannot see it! St Luke 1941-44
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The radical intervention of JesusGods Temple
will be called a house of prayer for the people
of all nations. St Mark 1117
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Jesus vision of universal reconciliationPeople
will come from the north, south, east and west,
and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the
banquet in the Kingdom of God.St Matthew 811
St Luke 1329
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The passion in the prayer of Jesus for
unityFather, may all who believe in me be
one,as we are one. St John 1720-21
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Christ tore down the wall we used to keep each
other at a distance. Instead of continuing with
two groups of people separated by centuries of
animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of
human being. He brought us together again, got us
to embrace, and that was the end of the
hostility.
Christs reconciling death Ephesians 211-22
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There is one Body, one Spirit, one hope, one
Lord, one Faith, one baptism, one God and Father
who rules over all, works through all and is
present in all.
The unifying activity of the Holy
Spirit Ephesians 43-6
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Christ is like a single body with many parts.
There is no division in it, because all the
different parts have the same concern for one
another. 1 Corinthians 1212-26
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Christ gave us apostles, prophets, evangelists,
pastors and teachers to build up the body of
Christ until we all reach unity in the knowledge
of the Son of God.
Christian leaders have a sacred responsibility
to promote our unity in knowing Christ
Ephesians 411-13
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There is now no difference between Jews and
Gentiles, slaves and free men, men and women you
are all one in union with Christ Jesus
The Church is Christs inclusive community of
grace Galatians 326-28
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The bonding influence of our Baptism 1
Corinthians 1212-13
Christ is like a single body and all of us have
been baptized into the one body by the same
Spirit.
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The unifying effect of Holy Communion 1
Corinthians 1016-17
When we break and eat the loaf of bread, dont
we take into ourselves the body, the very life,
of Christ? Because there is one loaf, our
many-ness becomes one-ness Christ doesnt
become fragmented in us, rather we become unified
in him.
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I saw an enormous crowd from every race, tribe,
nation and language standing in front of the
throne and of the Lamb, dressed in white
robes..for the peoples of the world will walk by
the light of the Lamb.
The vision of St John the Evangelist
Revelation 7 and 21
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The centrality of reconciliationthe clear
teaching of the Scriptures
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No sitting on the fenceShould I get involved
in Gods mission of reconciliation or not?
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Time to move in a new direction? Adopt a
lifestyle without fences.
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Become the change you want to see in your church,
community and world